With so many Bar and Bat Mitzvah services now being held at home or virtually due to the Coronavirus Pandemic, a very interesting question was recently posed in several of Mitzvah Market’s regional Bar Bat Mitzvah Planning groups on Facebook.
“What is the new etiquette for gift giving when a Bar/Bat Mitzvah child is having a zoom service taking place now, and the party later in the year or next year? Are people sending a small gift now, and then a traditional monetary gift for the future celebration?”
While there are no hard and fast rules for this new normal, the consensus is that a Bar Bat Mitzvah gift should recognize the child’s accomplishment on the day of their Bar or Bat Mitzvah service. “The whole entire point is the service. This is the event they have prepared for and worked towards,” said one parent in our DC/Maryland/Virginia Planning Group. “That accomplishment is what we are celebrating. If the service is happening now and you want to give a gift, there is no reason to wait for a party.”
A parent in the New Jersey Planning Group, who agreed with giving a gift at the time of the service, added, “So much about the next year is unknown. These parties may not happen or they may have to be much reduced in scale… Should the party come to fruition, it might be nice to give a small token but it certainly isn’t expected or necessary.”
That being said, a gift is appreciated whenever it is received — especially at times like these! “I have been advising clients that a gift can be mailed at anytime and certainly brought to the celebration later,” advised one Mitzvah vendor in our Boston Area Planning Group.
For more advice and ideas on planning a Bar Bat Mitzvah during the Coronavirus Pandemic, visit Mitzvah Market’s 17 regional Facebook groups where thousands of parents are sharing information. Join here.
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